Charlie

I think the haters need to read this book, because it might teach them what empathy is. I've seen a lot of people criticize Gypsy, saying she just puts all the blame on her mother (or Nick) and isn't sorry for what she did. That just isn't true, and this book is another example of that. Thank you for being transparent and sharing this with the world, Gypsy.

Incredibly graphic and stomach churning, but overall a good book if you can handle this kind of horror.

Surprisingly short read, but not bad. At first I just wanted to hear the original story and not about Grace (the author of the fiction novel), but the two stories really are forever intertwined. Grace sounds kind of annoying if I'm being honest, but there's only a few chapters at the beginning and end devoted to her bio.

This is a fantastic book. There isn't much true crime, but honestly, some of the things I learned about animals and insects were pretty mind-blowing on their own. Might be weird to recommend a book about cannibalism, but I really do recommend it.

ARC Review for Obscured Passages: A Memoir in Verse of Child Trafficking and the Resilience of the Human Mind by Nichole M. Willden

Rating: 5 Big Hugs

This was my first time being an ARC Reader and I am very honoured this book was my first ever. It is haunting, but beautifully written. If you are interested in psychology, true crime, and/or cults, you will likely love this book as much as I did. Obscured Passages is an emotional rollercoaster not for the faint of heart, yet I encourage anyone to read it as long as they are in a good mental state to do so safely as there is much to learn from Willden's memoir.

The trigger warning at the beginning should be taken very seriously. While leaving some things to the (horrific) imagination, Willden expresses a lot of details and emotions through verse. It's hard not to imagine yourself in her shoes and feel even a sliver of the fear, pain, confusion, and hopelessness of the traumatic moments as she describes them. As a result of the abuse, Willden's mind fragmented into several different and unique personalities, each helping her to cope with the trauma in different ways (this is known as Dissociative Identity Disorder - DID - and was previously known as multiple personality disorder).

WHAT I LOVED

- The alternating chapters of Then and Now which contrasts her experiences as a child to the long-term effects on her mental health as an adult. At first I thought I might not like the time jumping, but it wasn't an issue here and showed a direct relation between the trauma and the results of enduring such abuse.

- The Afterword in which Willden gives us a glimpse into her mind, describing herself and her other parts as a whole as the “Et Al System.” She also shares her journey in therapy, her DID diagnosis experience, provides some extra information about the cult, a warning to her abusers, and her happily ever after.

- Willden acknowledges that some of her parts gave permission to tell their story in this book, but others did not. If those other parts ever agree to share their experiences, there may be another book to fill in the gaps. It is clear that Willden respects each of her parts' choices, and I appreciated her effort to answer some burning questions most might have while reminding readers that this memoir wasn't written with the intent to share every detail.

- The Doctor's Afterword written by a psychologist who describes DID, its origins, and debunks common myths or misperceptions about DID.

I really don't have anything bad to say about this book. I wish it was longer because the true crime fanatic in me wants all the details, but that doesn't make the book any less spectacular. It's a quick read, so you have no excuses not to read it now!

Willden's Obscured Passages is a beautiful memoir that is heartbreaking, but also enlightening. Her bravery to share her experience with the world is a beacon of hope for other abuse survivors who may need to hear that they are not alone and that it's okay to tell their story if they really want to.